Dr. Xiaoyan Liang is a Lead Education Specialist and the focal person for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Skills at the World Bank Group's Education Global Practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Master’s and Doctor of Education degrees from Harvard University. With over two decades of experience in international development, Dr. Liang’s expertise encompasses early childhood education, teacher and STEM education, TVET and skills development, higher education, science and technology, as well as cross-cutting themes of education finance, governance, poverty, and inclusion.
Dr. Liang believes in a systemic and institutionalized approach to education and training. She values the role of teachers, country ownership, indigenous capacity, and tripartite partnerships among academia, industry, and government. Her notable contributions include the "How Shanghai Does It" publication, which analyzes the success factors behind Shanghai’s top performance in PISA, and the pioneering TVET reform programs in China, which have informed similar programs in Africa and other regions. She also advocates for institutional autonomy, accountability, and industrial linkages for better service delivery in TVET and skills development.
Dr. Liang led the Tanzania BOOST Primary Student Learning Program, which catalyzed a sustainable school-based teacher professional development platform, leveraging technology and teaching skills competitions for crowdsourcing and wide sharing of excellent teaching practices by Tanzania teachers. She is also the main architect of the Yunnan Early Childhood Education Innovation Project, which supports underserved and left-behind rural and ethnic minority children in China.
Dr. Liang is a strong advocate for South-to-South cooperation and has facilitated numerous joint TVET and higher education programs between Africa and East Asian countries in agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, renewable energy, and other emerging sectors. In addition to coordinating TVET/skills policies and programs at the global unit, Dr. Liang continues to lead country-specific TVET/skills dialogues and programs, including the India Transformation of Industrial Training Institutes and the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration (EASTRIP).
